In his first speech after the Lok Sabha election results, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat criticised the poll campaign as being “devoid of standards”, condemning all sides for engaging in propaganda politics. He said technology was used to spread fake agendas and false narratives.
Addressing the ongoing and unabated violence in Manipur, he stressed that the northeastern state has been yearning for peace for the past year. He urged the Centre to prioritise the restoration of order there and said it should be treated as a “prime responsibility”.
“Outside atmosphere is different after the Lok Sabha elections are over; the new government has also taken shape. Why it has happened, does not concern the Sangh. The Sangh works for refining public opinion in every election, did it this time also but does not get entangled in the analysis of the outcome,” Bhagwat said, addressing the ‘Shiksha Varg’ programme in Nagpur on Monday.
“During the election, competition is inevitable but it should be based on truth. Our tradition is of evolving consensus, that is why Parliament has two sides so that both sides of any issue are considered. But the dignity, the values of our culture should have been maintained. The election campaign was devoid of dignity. It made the atmosphere vicious. Technology was used to spread fake propaganda and false narratives. Is this our culture? Is this why we educate ourselves and is this the way we should be using technology?” he asked.
In his speech, he further pointed out that the real sevak is the person who works, but does not beat his own drum. “If you serve people, then serve them with your heart. Do not develop arrogance and pride for that,” he said.
‘Manipur is still burning’
Reacting to the ethnic violence in Manipur, Bhagwat said the state has long been waiting for peace. “It has been a year. They (people of Manipur) are yearning for peace. They are still waiting for us to see them. The state is still burning. The government should prioritise Manipur and it is the government’s responsibility,” he said.
He added that there was peace in the state for the past 10 years, and it should also be analysed why it all went so wrong.
‘Stop beating the dead horse’
Reiterating the resilience of parliamentary democracy and the election system, he said there should be “consensus” in Parliament and that is why there are two sides. There has to be “unanimity”, and every side should shun bitterness against each other.
He advised the sangh volunteers to stop beating the dead horse, and avoid thinking about what happened and why. “We should not be thinking about the elections and the results anymore. We have worked the way we should have. In this election, an organisation like the RSS was also dragged in. It was unnecessary. But, we should not be living in the past and, if we do, we will not be able to continue with our work,” Bhagwat said.
‘Caste should go away lock, stock and barrel’
The RSS chief said there is angst among the people. “The caste system should go away lock, stock and barrel. We have to start… at home. This will be our redemption for the sins we have committed for thousands of years,” he said.
About being tolerant and patient while addressing other religious communities, he said: “The problem with external ideologies is that they presume themselves to be the sole custodians of correctness. Even for the religions and thoughts that entered Bharat, some people became their followers for different reasons. But our culture doesn’t have any problems because of that. The only thing is that we should get rid of the mindset that ours is only right, others can’t.”
He further said people should now forget what happened in the past and step forward together. “The entire world is looking for some form of relief from the challenges and Bharat can provide the solutions for the same. To prepare our society for the same, swayamsevaks come to the Sangh shakha,” he added.
‘Our tradition is of evolving consensus’
There should be consensus in Parliament, Bhagwat said. “When there is an election, a competition is inevitable, in the process pushing others behind also happens but that also has a limitation of not – it should not be based on falsehood. Why do people get elected – to go to Parliament, evolve a consensus on various issues. Our tradition is of evolving consensus… Rigveda Rishi had the understanding of the human mind… hence, they accepted that there cannot be 100 percent unanimity but despite that when society decides to work with consensus then it becomes sah-chitta,” he said.
He added: “Why are there two sides in Parliament? So that, both sides of any issue get addressed. There are two sides to a coin, similarly every issue has two sides. If one side is addressed by one party, the opposition party should address the other dimension, so that we reach the right decision.”
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